One of the great things about having my mum to stay with us this summer has been reliving childhood memories. The kids love hearing Nan-Nan's stories about 'when Mummy was little' as they realise that we are pretty alike in many ways ('You mean Mummy liked dress ups too...and she really loved eating broccoli??!')...

As an added bonus, Mum has also been whipping up a few of my favourite childhood treats. Her pikelets and shortbread [see recipes!] have taken me straight back to the 80's, when she always seemed to be in the kitchen baking (which my sister and I would consume ravenously and endlessly, without putting on weight...how was this possible?!). My latest request was for her famous Ginger Crunch - for the uninitiated, this is a tray baked ginger cookie with creamy ginger icing...if, like me, you love ginger, this is simply divine!.

Unfortunately the first batch was a bit of a disappointment, as for some reason, the ground ginger we bought from a certain big red store (which shall remain nameless) was very weak and un-gingery. With Batch Number 2, we decided to double the ginger and add some grated ginger root to the icing to 'spice things up a bit' (pun intended!). For Batch 3 we visited the local spice store in our town and also came away with some crystalised ginger and the following recipe evolved...

Cream butter and sugar. Sift flour, ground ginger and baking powder and add crystalised ginger. Mix to form a dough and roll out onto a lightly floured surface.Press dough into a greased brownie tin.Bake at 180/350F for approx 20-25 mins or until golden brown.

Melt butter, syrup, icing sugar and gingers in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring constantly. Heat til butter melts and ingredients blend to a creamy consistency.

Pour hot icing over base and cut into squares before it cools.

Thanks Mum xxx

]]>Fri, 07 Sep 2012 14:33:34 GMThttp://www.thecommunalpantry.com/2/post/2012/09/relative-salad.htmlWe recently had some cousins of my husband's in town. It being Labour Day (or should that be Labor?) we had planned to do the traditional American thing and have a barbeque to mark the end of summer. Sadly, the weather was not cooperating (due to the after effects of Hurricane Issac?!) so we had to switch to Plan B - roast chicken and salad...

The following creation was designed specially for the rellies (who had just spent the summer on the coast of Croatia, where fresh figs and goat cheese are readily available!). It is dead easy but looks pretty impressive - ideally just pile everything onto a big platter. A bit UN-American I know (should have possibly been coleslaw and potato salad?), but we did finish the meal off with some very traditional apple pie (with a twist!)...see next post!

Ever have those days when you just run out of time and suddenly it is 5.30 and you haven't even THOUGHT about dinner?? Well yesterday was one of those days for me...not only had I completely not realised that child number two was actually starting school [today], I had not yet got around to buying her a backpack, or appropriate footwear (she's been living in flip flops all summer)...hey, isn't that what the day before school is for?Needless to say, I was running around most of the day, only to get home to a rather bare pantry and fridge!

Luckily I had some 2 day old bread and fresh tomatoes from the garden (hooray for self sufficiency!) so after rustling up some chicken soup, I decided to also make some bruschetta. Ideally I would have slow roasted these tomatoes for hours, but in the interest of preventing my family's starvation, I sped up the process somewhat. The results were fantastic if I do say so...!

Slice bread fairly thickly into slices and set aside. Pre-heat oven to 300F.Slice tomatoes into thirds horizontally and lay on a wire rack on top of an oven tray.Drizzle with olive oil, salt flakes, pepper, lemon zest, garlic and rosemary and balsamic.Place tomatoes in oven and roast for approx 60 - 90 minutes. Pop bread in oven for last 10 minutes.Serve tomatoes atop bread.

These are great on their own or with a slice of goats cheese and a bit of basil on top! xx

Recently I was lucky enough to tag along with the husband on a work trip to San Fracisco. The added bonus; a built in babysitter (in the form of Grandma) meant we could go sans kids - for 5 fabulous days!! I know, everyone reading this with kids is probably hating me by now, but the reality is, we have lived in this new country for nearly 2 1/2 years without even a night away on our own!

As you can imagine I was pretty excited, determined to see as much as possible and cram in as many foodie adventures as I could! The first day I wandered around the city for hours, checking out sites I had last seen as a teenager, 24 years earlier. Armed with a great little guide book and friends' recommendations, I found places both on and off the beaten track and got totally and happily lost in the process. So rather than bore you with words, I will let the photos do the talking...

Yes, it's a tourist trap but Fisherman's Wharf does have a certain old school charm...

Time for a pastry stop at a San Fran institution, Boudin Sourdough Bakery...

Then it was on to North Beach, San Fran's 'Little Italy' for more fab coffee and wandering round some quaint little lanes...

Luckily, getting hungry coincided with being in Chinatown, so time for some delicious dumplings...

Then, somehow I took a slight wrong turn and ended up in the (ahem) red light district...pretty tame in the mid afternoon!

Dinner that night was at the fantastic 'Foreign Cinema' in the colourful Mission District. If you go to San Fran, don't miss this place - you can sit in an outdoor courtyard and watch movies if your dinner date gets boring! (Luckily mine wasn't!!)

The next day we left the city and headed North on Highway 1 out along the coast, bound for Napa County. After a few detours en route for local flavours (beef jerky at the Marin Sun Farms Butchery in Point Reyes oysters and beer at The Marshall Store), we were in wine country...

We thought four vineyards for one day (Clos Pegase, Duckhorn, V Sattui and Mumm) was a pretty respectable number until we met a group who were onto their 9th...!!

Dinner that night was at a sweet Portuguese restaurant, La Salette, in Sonoma...

And our trip ended with the best coffee in months and brunch at the wonderful and super highly recommended the girl and the fig, also in Sonoma.

I recently heard that New Yorkers drink the most iced coffee per head of capita than anywhere else in the US. Where I come from, 'Iced Coffee' is usually served rather weak and with lashings of whipped cream (a la Starbucks frappuccinos) so I must admit it took me a while before ordering one... However, iced coffee here is just coffee and ice cubes [non-purists can also add mik] ...very refreshing on these sweltering hot days...hence, I am now hooked!!

This latest drink was inspired by the maple syrup that happened to be sitting on the bench (left over from breakfast ) when I was making iced coffee the other day. I don't usually add sugar to my coffee, but this latest brand I have is particularly bitter so I made up the coffee as usual and added a little of the syrup afterwards...the result - delicious!!

Brew coffee, add milk and maple syrup to taste and pour over a jug of ice cubes.Pour into individual glasses adding extra ice if needed.

A friend recently gave me a great tip - if you have a whole bunch of bananas going spotty and want to keep them for later in the week (or month) - FREEZE them. A little helper was recently in the house and we had a morning to fill, so decided to make use of those frozen bananas with these easy muffins. I also added some pomegranate seeds to the second batch (about 5 or 6) which were also just as delish!

Soften butter and add to mashed bananas. Add beaten egg, sugar, honey and vanilla. Add in baking soda and stir in flour (don't overmix). If using, stir through pomegranate seeds.Pour into muffin tins or line cases with parchment paper (more for effect!) and sprinkle with chopped chocolate.Bake at 325 F for 30 - 40 mins.

So ever since I first saw The Hamptons in movies,(remember 'Weekend at Bernie's' in the 80's anyone?) and in episodes of 'Sex and the City', I admit, I was both fascinated and dying to check out this playground of the rich and famous. Last weekend, and after two years of trying to persuade the husband to take me there, I luckily got my chance, when we were invited to Amagansett with our neighbours to stay at their family beach house.

After naively planning to leave home 'after lunch' on the Friday of a long vacation weekend (July 4th) I was glad I took friends' advice and left at the crack of dawn [6am] as the traffic can get ridiculous heading out to Long Island. [I had heard horror stories of 5 - 7 hour journeys when it should only take 3!!]. Added to this, the country was in the middle of a heatwave and with two kids in tow, I didn't want to take any chances...!

Amagansett is possibly one of the most beautiful beaches I have seen so far in the US - white sand, gorgeous dunes and a relaxed, understated, beachy vibe that is a direct contrast to other more ritzy and flashy towns in the Hamptons. Our hosts were so welcoming and also relaxed, that after a couple of hours and a drink or two (Eebie's sublime Coco-jito's were just the thing!) it felt like we'd been there a week. Phyllis is a real foodie and had whipped up a divine chilled beetroot and cucumber soup (click here for recipe)for the first night.

Saturday was spent beachside before we headed out to a local lobster shack to buy dinner. Fish Farm at Multi Aquaculture Systems, on the delightfully named 'Cranberry Hole Road', has stunning views of the harbour below. The place is fantastically rustic, though not for the faint of heart, as there are pecking geese, guard dogs lurking and when the wind shifts, a distinct fishy smell. The seafood business must also be a risky business we decided! All that aside, the food turned out to be fantastic and the staff, super friendly.

Having not eaten good seafood for so long, husband went a little overboard (pun intended) and bought pretty much some of everything, except the fresh fish kebabs...(well there is always next time!) and that night [after the obligatory lobster race] we cooked up our feast...clams and oysters, lobster so unbelievably sweet and a divine olive bread loaf to mop it all up with!

The Race...

And the feast...

Driving through the roads of East Hampton the next day was like entering another world, with such staggering displays of wealth and ridiculously large houses - one reputedly with seven kitchens...(seven? I can't seem to find stuff in my single kitchen!!) - though many were not even visible from car/street level. Our friends pointed out Kennedy homes, the real Martha's and Jerry Seinfeld's as a deliciously sweet honeyish smell wafted through the car windows, which we all jokingly referred to as the 'sweet smell of success and money' but which turned out to be a hedge flower in bloom. And the hedges are gigantic (for added privacy) despite the fact that most homes are half a mile from the road anyway!

To be honest though, I would much prefer to stay right on the beach in a little shack than in some of the mansions we spotted...it's the simple things that make me happiest, like watching the kids running on the beach at sunset...oh and lobster!! xx

Our good friends recently got engaged. Two children and a previous marriage each under their belts, they figured it was about time...What surprised me most about their announcement was the fact that many people they told were surprised (that they weren't already married). I guess I am now living in quite a conservative town, but where I'm from it is actually really common to tie the knot POST- kids...in fact I did it myself.

As it was also a birthday celebration for one in the couple, we invited them over for a celebratory dinner, champagne and mojitos! I wanted to make something special for dessert so pulled out an easy yet impressive, old favourite - a flourless chocolate tart.

PS For the record, the proposal was tres romantique...in Key West, with the sun setting on the beach, he sent their eldest (Miss 2 1/2) over to Mum with the stunning Cartier ring in her hand. How could she refuse?? xx

Preheat oven to 350 C/180F.Line an 11' (28cm) spring-form cake tin with baking paper and grease sides well.Melt butter and chocolate in microwave or over a very low heat on stove. Leave to cool.Separate eggs. Beat yolks in a small bowl with 1/2 cup of sugar until pale. Add to chocolate/butter mixture and combine gently.In a large bowl, beat egg whites with electric mixer until soft peaks form and slowly add sugar until glossy.Fold chocolate mixture into egg whites and pour batter into cake tin.Bake approx 45 -50 mins or until a toothpick in centre comes out clean. Cake will then drop (a lot!)...do not be alarmed as this is meant to happen!Serve with heavy cream/creme fraiche and oranges or berries (I used Ruby Grapefruit).

]]>Sat, 19 May 2012 20:06:51 GMThttp://www.thecommunalpantry.com/2/post/2012/05/bee-desserts-cafe-west-village.htmlMy gorgeous sister in law was recently in town. Having never been to the US before, let alone New York, she was quite overwhelmed by the city - the people, the noise, the garbage, the graffiti, the shopping... her first impression was not totally positive and she mused that she'd always imagined it would be more glamorous, more Mad Men-ish (her favourite show of the moment!). A few days later however, and after many hours spent traipsing from neighbourhood to neighbourhood in Manhattan, she was hooked, and had, like countless many before her, fallen for the city of high heels ...and hotdogs (her new foodie love!).

Keen to see as much as possible, she booked in to a few tours - bus tours and museum tours and I took her on a tour of some of my favourite spots - Chelsea Markets, The High Line, SoHo and West Village.

After sampling fantastic chicken tacos in Chelsea Market, we walked off lunch and came across the ever great, People's Pops...

After more walking (and shoe shopping!) it was time for a restorative coffee and cake at the delightful Bee Desserts and Cafe in Greenwich Ave, West Village. Their marshmallow honey cake (chocolate covered deliciousness made with 'pure honey in the place of sugar, creamy marshmallow and dark chocolate with 70% cocoa') is to die for - and they ship across the country!

Click on the photo to learn more about their legendary Honey Cakes!

The coffee - Brazilian, strong AND served in a proper mug - was also worth the visit!

A few nights later, sis in law was overjoyed when, while waiting to see a Broadway show, we just happened to stumble across a star studded line up of people waiting for the premiere of another new show, including Sarah Jessica Parker and John Hamm (her 'Mad Man') ...her trip to New York was now complete...'seen a celebrity' - TICK!xx

John is somewhere in this crowd...trust me!!

]]>Sat, 12 May 2012 00:03:42 GMThttp://www.thecommunalpantry.com/2/post/2012/05/wobbly-tooth-wednesday.htmlMy son at the moment, has a slight speech impediment. Although, if we lived in the East End of London, his speech would be quite normal, as he pronounces 'TH' as 'F' as in "Fursday', not Thursday. He is however, not alone in this and for some time now, his teacher has been trying to correct the class's pronunciation by holding 'Stick Out Your Tongue Thursday' every week.Recently he lost his first tooth and this seems only to have compounded the issue...I'm still working on the pronunciation with him, but a few weeks ago, with a very wobbly tooth he requested ice blocks (ice lollies/posicles) 'for my sore [?!!] wiggly tooth'. I had just made up some smoothies so decided to freeze the mixture and make yoghurt pops as a bit of an experiment.

The verdict? Kids loved them and I felt a lot happier about giving them something healthy, especially when I looked on the side of the yogurt 'squishers' packaging (that I had previously been giving them) and saw the LONG list of supposedly friendly and 'organic' ingredients...

PS Apparently, according to my six year old (see video interview below just after the tooth fell out) the going rate for a lost tooth is only a quarter (25 cents)...needless to say, my husband and I were quite happy with his expectations!! xx